MTB for road training rides?

The workout that you get will be similar; the reason that you are going slower is that the resistance you have to overcome is greater and your power output is the same. Riding with people on road bikes will mean that you have to work harder than them for the same speed, so look out for this if you train with others.

The only thing that will different is technique (e.g. cornering, holding a wheel, etc.) from bike to bike.

I find that when I race, training on a slow bike makes the race easier, yeah it's good training if you ask me.

Brian

Suggest you change to some slick tires. The knobbies have quite a bit of rolling resistance, plus poor grip on pavement. You'll definately feel a difference.

Dan

I only wish I cross traind with a mountain bike when I was racing on the road a track 10 years ago. My average speeds of 28kph on the mountain bike translate to around 35kph on the roady. The best bit is being able to sit on a high speed for a couple of minutes (50-60kph) when in the old day I could only reach high speeds in sprints or going downhill. I load up the mountain bike with knobby tires, a heavy tool kit and a couple of full bidons and off I go.

ultimocrat said:

Hello all. I'm new here, and I've only been cycling seriously since about early July this year.

Recently I've been riding quite a bit on the roads in my area, but I don't have a road bike. I've just got a cheap, heavy (35 lb) MTB that I plug along with. Front suspension, knobby tires, and the like. I go pretty slowly (16-17 mph alone for around 1-2 hours), but I can still get a very good workout, especially on even very small hills. The bike is also low maintenance, has very low risk of being stolen, and is relatively comfortable.

My question is whether I am doing myself any harm by training on a bike that is so much different from anything I would be racing on . Would riding on a faster bike make the exercise more aerobic, more leg intensive, or what? Should I be concerned that aerodynamics is such a low priority on my current bike, while it would be quite important in a race?

Any comments would be welcome.

Tim

What kinda bike are you going to be racing on? I've been using the same bike that I'm going to do mtb races on for this upcoming season. I would be riding on the trails but they are too muddy so I just put some slicks on my mountain bike rims 26/ 1 an 1quarter and just do conditioning on road rides and also on an indoor trainer. The added weight should'nt be of any concern if your just riding around getting in shape, you might not go as fast as you would on a lighter bike but don't let that deter you. Just get in shape and anticipate on getting a better bike when the time comes. By the way,16 or 17 miles an hour for a duration of 1 to 2 hours is'nt too slow for somebody that's just starting out.

I use a MTB/slicks for training. Results for me are the same, effort = HR target zone, either bike, cadence is the same for both, its the wider gear ratios that make you work harder, a road cassette can solve that.

in 04, i rode mountain bike with slicks till Sept.. then i got a road bike and rode it until Nov.. when i switched back to the mountain bike.

the biggest difference i feel getting back on the mountain bike is that i seem to make full power circles better on that frame.

so i wonder,
(a) do i need to change the setup on the road bike (how?) or
(b) is the geometry of mountain bikes just more friendly for power at closer to the ideal of 360 degrees?

You should feel a diffrence between your mountain bike and road bike because they have diffrent frame geometrys. I have a 2003 aluminum hardtail and an old mid 80's centurion road bike that has a steel frame. The geometry, quality, and feel between the two frames is worlds apart. I can build up to a quicker speed on my MTB than my road bike due to the geometry of the two, but I could probably reach an over all faster speed on my road bike due to the drivetrain. Now if I had a modern road bike with a longer top tub, yeah, it would probably rival my mountain bike in quickness. I've been wanting to get a new road bike but can't because of finances, so I just ride the MTB around with slicks until the trails dry up enough. So if your happier with the MTB I don't see any reason not to ride around with it instead of your road bike,unless your going to be doing some road races.